Following on from the successful open day held in August at the Old Prison, Northleach, the Friends of the Cotswolds are organising a rural themed Christmas event to take place on the afternoon of Sunday 2 December to help raise funds for the Old Prison Appeal.

The event, which will take place between 2pm and 4pm, will see Santa ‘locked up' and funds raised to help with his release in time for Christmas.

As well as carol singing around the Christmas tree, kindly donated by Lord Vestey, Patron of the Friends of the Cotswolds, there will be a range of rural skills demonstrations including green woodworking, blacksmithing and wool spinning, plus badge-making for children and music supplied by the Chedworth Silver Band.

Chairman of the Friends of the Cotswolds, Simon Randall commented: "We are delighted with the amount of support that we have been receiving from local people, particularly at our last event which helped us raise over £2,000 from donations on the day plus the very generous recent donation of £20,000 by Grundons. We are hoping to build on this further through our Christmas event plus more events and fundraising activities that we are planning for next year."

The event will start at 2pm and finish at 4pm on Sunday 2 December. Entrance is free but donations will be very welcome.

The Old Prison

The Old Prison is a landmark historic building on the Fosse Way at Northleach and has a fascinating history as one of Gloucestershire's original and inspirational houses of correction in the late 18th century. The building is also home to the unique and substantial Lloyd Baker Rural Life Collection as well as the new Escape to the Cotswolds Discovery Centre for the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the offices of the Cotswolds Conservation Board.

Friends of the CotswoldsThe Friends of the Cotswolds is a charity started in 2007 whose purpose is to conserve and enhance the Cotswolds whilst raising awareness of our natural environment and provide activities and facilities for visitors and people living and working in the Cotswolds. Visit: www.friendsofthecotswolds.org

The Friends of the Cotswolds are aiming to raise £750,000 to secure and invest in the future of the Old Prison, following the decision by Cotswold District Council to put the building up for sale in 2011 and the Friends being subsequently chosen as the preferred bidder.

The purchase of the building is expected to be completed in spring 2013, following which time work will be undertaken to conserve it for the future by improving the fabric of the building and turning it into a vibrant visitor centre.